Quique Álvarez

Enrique "Quique" Álvarez Sanjuán (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈkike ˈalβaɾeθ]; born 20 July 1975) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a central defender and who currently the assistant coach of Villarreal.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Álvarez and the second or maternal family name is Sanjuán.
Quique Álvarez
Personal information
Full name Enrique Álvarez Sanjuán
Date of birth (1975-07-20) 20 July 1975
Place of birth Vigo, Spain
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Centre back
Youth career
1992–1993 Barcelona
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1993–1997 Barcelona B 78 (0)
1995–1998 Barcelona 1 (0)
1997–1998 → Logroñés (loan) 16 (0)
1998–2000 Lleida 75 (3)
2000–2007 Villarreal 188 (5)
2007–2009 Recreativo 12 (0)
Total 370 (8)
National team
1995 Spain U21 1 (0)
1997 Spain U23 2 (0)
Teams managed
2009–2015 Barcelona u19 (assistant)
2015–2017 Barcelona u18
2017–2018 Villarreal (assistant)
2019– Villarreal (assistant)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

During a 16-year professional career he appeared in 369 games, 200 of those in La Liga. Having started his career at Barcelona, where he had no impact for its first team – one match – he would be an important member of Villarreal's top flight consolidation, representing the club for seven years.

Playing career

Álvarez was born in Vigo, Galicia. Grown through the ranks of FC Barcelona, he played only one La Liga game for the Catalans in the 1995–96 season,[1] then spent one loan stint with CD Logroñés before being released, after which he joined Barça neighbours UE Lleida (both teams were in the second division).

Álvarez made a name as a top level player during his stay at Villarreal CF, where he was team captain when a starter. Having managed 250 overall appearances – 188 of those in the top level, second-most for the club behind Argentine Rodolfo Arruabarrena[2]– his role would diminish in the 2006–07 campaign however, as Villarreal finished fifth (only 15 matches).

In July 2007, Álvarez joined Recreativo de Huelva, where his season would be constantly bothered by injuries.[3] In one of his few league appearances, on 1 March 2008, he was sent off for a dangerous challenge on Real Madrid's Arjen Robben, after just six minutes on the pitch (the former was brought on in the 64'), during a 2–3 home loss.[4] In 2008–09 he only took part in one league game for already doomed Recre, a 1–2 loss at Sporting de Gijón in the last round,[5] and was subsequently released.

Coaching career

Retired at 34, Álvarez moved into coaching, starting with Barcelona's Juvenil A.[6] In 2017 he left the barcelona youth team. On 10 December 2018 he joined his former club Villarreal as an assistant coach under Javier Calleja. On 10 December 2018 he left the club with the Javier Calleja after the dismissal and return to the club with him in 29 January 2019 as an assistant.[7]

Personal life

Álvarez's father, Quique Costas, also a footballer and a defender, played professionally with RC Celta de Vigo and Barcelona. He later became a manager, coinciding with his son on one occasion.

Álvarez's younger brother, Óscar, who occupied the same position, played mainly in divisions two and three.[8]

Honours

Villarreal

References
  1. Domènech, Joan (4 September 1995). "Iván entra y el Barça gana" [Iván comes in and Barça win]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 October 2017.
  2. "Quique Álvarez y Arruabarrena, historia viva del conjunto amarillo en Primera División" [Quique Álvarez and Arruabarrena, living history of yellow side in Primera División]. Las Provincias (in Spanish). 23 June 2007. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
  3. "Quique Álvarez puede volver a jugar un año después" [Quique Álvarez may play again one year later]. Marca (in Spanish). 13 May 2009. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
  4. "Robben, otro mes de baja" [Robben, one more month out]. El País (in Spanish). 4 March 2008. Retrieved 7 January 2009.
  5. "Sporting Gijón 2–1 Recreativo Huelva". ESPN Soccernet. 31 May 2009. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  6. Artús, José Luis; Domènech, Oriol (27 July 2010). "Òscar entrenará al Juvenil A" [Òscar to coach Juvenil A]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 February 2014.
  7. "Who is the number two coach at each LaLiga Santander club?". MARCA in English. 2020-03-04. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  8. ""Quique" Álvarez Sanjuán" (in Spanish). Mitos Futbolísticos. 23 June 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
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